E-commerce as a tool for the development of small business

Abstract

E-commerce has gained particular importance for the development of small businesses in the past year due to the restrictions imposed due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection. The article provides a review of scientific literature in order to generalize the methodology for defining the concept of “electronic commerce”. The main trends in the field of e-commerce in small business are characterized. The data on the development of the e-commerce market are analyzed and the following is emphasized: in the number of purchases from mobile devices has increased; creation and widespread use of social media pages is a key factor in the development of e-commerce by entrepreneurs. The advantages and disadvantages of using electronic commerce by small businesses are systematized. Conclusions are made about the growth in the volume of transactions using Internet technologies, and about the increase in digitalization of small businesses.